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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — a permit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — to tire
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — to sink
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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