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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bore — to tire
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bark — to shout
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bore — to drill
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stand — to bear
  24. deal — to handle

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