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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. spell — a short time
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a song
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — tied together
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bound — certain
  9. bore — to drill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — to tire
  14. track — a path
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bound — obliged
  18. tear — from crying
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — of water
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bore — gave birth

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