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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spell — magic
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bore — to tire
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fan — a supporter

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