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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tear — to rip
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tear — from crying
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — to play on
  9. season — of the year
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rock — a stone
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com