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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bore — to tire
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. tear — to rip
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — there
  13. wound — an injury
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wind — moving air
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bass — low music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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