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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 124 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wake — a trail
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pit — in a race
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a document
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bore — to tire
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tear — to rip
  24. file — a tool

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