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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bore — to tire
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — in music
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mark — a grade
  12. tear — to rip
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fan — a supporter

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