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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. tear — from crying
  3. squash — to crush
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tear — to rip
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lean — thin
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. can — a tin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wax — to grow
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. prune — to trim

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