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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bore — to drill
  5. object — an aim
  6. content — happy
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — to protest
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. tear — from crying
  17. snap — to click
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bore — to tire
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. content — the amount
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. calf — of the leg

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