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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. field — farmland
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. present — a gift
  12. bore — to drill
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bore — to tire
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. field — for sport
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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