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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rash — hasty
  4. tear — to rip
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. tear — from crying
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bore — to drill

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