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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bore — to tire
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tear — from crying
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cap — a lid
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mug — a face
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cap — of ice

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