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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stem — to come from
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pit — a hole
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pit — in a race
  23. tear — to rip
  24. saw — the tool

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