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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. tear — to rip
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — a match
  9. fall — the season
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — a thing
  15. bore — to tire
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. spell — magic
  19. object — to protest
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. object — an aim

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