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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. drill — army training
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. row — a line
  6. kick — in football
  7. drill — the tool
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. row — to paddle
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rash — a series
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pit — a hole

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