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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bore — to tire
  3. tear — to rip
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. race — the arms race
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. bore — to drill
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. race — humankind
  15. root — of a word
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. race — a contest
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. field — for sport
  24. root — of a plant

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