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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. tear — to rip
  6. cue — a hint
  7. shower — to wash
  8. tear — from crying
  9. shower — rain
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. object — to protest
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bore — to drill
  18. object — an aim
  19. toast — bread
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cue — a signal
  22. object — a thing
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cue — for pool

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