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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bore — to drill
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — to be able to
  7. tear — to rip
  8. can — a tin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. net — after costs
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chair — a leader
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. net — in sport
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rush — hurry

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