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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bore — to tire
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kid — child
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. kid — to tease
  15. roll — a list
  16. pass — a permit
  17. roll — a cake
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. drill — army training
  22. bear — the animal
  23. drill — a practice
  24. tear — from crying

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