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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bore — to drill
  10. current — of water
  11. cue — for pool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bark — to shout
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. current — electric
  24. tear — from crying

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