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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. march — music
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — letters
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. kick — in football
  17. tear — to rip
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kid — to tease
  21. tear — from crying
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kid — child

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