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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rock — a stone
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rock — music
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — the season
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bore — to tire

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