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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. board — to get on
  5. tear — to rip
  6. file — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a document
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. board — a committee
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. file — a line of people

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