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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bore — to drill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fine — high quality
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wound — an injury
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — a series
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. track — a song
  20. rash — hasty
  21. tear — from crying
  22. track — a path
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. safe — a strongbox

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