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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — rain
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to tire
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. last — final
  12. tube — the underground
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. suit — to fit
  17. tear — from crying
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bore — to drill
  21. suit — in cards
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. foot — a measure

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