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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. face — to point toward
  3. tear — to rip
  4. track — a path
  5. bore — to drill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rock — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. face — to confront
  15. lean — thin
  16. track — a song
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — a stone
  22. track — to keep track
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stand — for spectators

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