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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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to drill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bore — to tire
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — all right
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — a video
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — on a finger
  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