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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bore — to tire
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. tear — from crying
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. row — a line
  16. cue — a signal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. tear — to rip

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