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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. key — for a lock
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bore — to drill
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tear — to rip
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. key — in music
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stock — shares
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rush — a thrill

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