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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hand — help
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — decided
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. kick — in football
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. tear — to rip

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