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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. craft — boats
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bank — for money
  14. tear — from crying
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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