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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bark — to shout
  9. track — a path
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spell — magic
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spell — letters
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ruler — a monarch

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