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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. can — to be able to
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. can — a tin
  6. bore — to drill
  7. can — a tin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mate — a partner
  10. game — wild animals
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — final
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. game — a match
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tear — from crying
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. mate — a friend

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