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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spring — the season
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. spring — a coil
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — a tool
  12. season — in sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — of the year
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spring — of water
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tear — from crying

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