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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tube — a container
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. prune — to trim
  9. firm — steady
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spell — magic
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. firm — decided
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — a trail
  20. firm — a company
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bore — to tire

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