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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a grade
  18. stem — to come from
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. cue — a hint
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cue — for pool
  24. hide — animal skin

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