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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tear — to rip
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tear — from crying
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rest — what's left
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. scale — in music
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tear — from crying
  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