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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ground — a position
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. can — a tin
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bore — to tire
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. tear — to rip
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. vault — a safe
  22. can — to be able to
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. bore — to drill

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