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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ball — a dance
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ground — the earth

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