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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bore — to tire
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cold — an illness
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. tear — to rip
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bore — to drill
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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