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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. tear — to rip
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ground — a position
  14. tear — from crying
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. leaves — lets stay

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