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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — to get on
  3. suit — to fit
  4. swing — to play on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. object — to protest
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — a thing
  10. plane — a tool
  11. swing — in golf
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bore — to drill
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cap — of ice
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. board — a committee
  21. swing — music
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cap — a lid

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