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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ground — a position
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bore — to tire
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. toast — bread
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — from crying
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ground — the earth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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