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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bore — to tire
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wound — an injury
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. charge — in control
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. season — of the year
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pass — a permit
  23. charge — a price
  24. season — in sport

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