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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tear — to rip
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — certain
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bound — tied together
  12. swing — in golf
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rule — a law
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rule — government
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. swing — music
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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