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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — to tire
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — to drill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chip — for betting
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. can — to be able to
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rest — a break
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spring — of water
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — gave birth

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