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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rock — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bore — to tire

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