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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — government
  6. cell — in biology
  7. fine — all right
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. race — humankind
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lean — to bend
  15. race — the arms race
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lean — thin
  19. content — happy
  20. rule — a law
  21. content — the amount
  22. race — a contest
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fine — high quality

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