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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. object — an aim
  2. spell — magic
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. object — a thing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. object — to protest
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — letters
  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