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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tear — from crying
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — to wash
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bore — to tire
  14. shower — rain
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tube — a container
  19. club — for golf
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bore — to drill

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