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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hand — help
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tear — to rip
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bore — to drill
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tear — from crying

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