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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bound — certain
  3. tear — from crying
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — to bear
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. tear — from crying
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — to visit

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