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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. game — a match
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — magic
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bore — to drill
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fine — all right
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — a short time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. vault — a safe
  22. tear — to rip
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. spell — letters

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