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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tear — to rip
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lie — to recline
  24. rush — to hurry

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