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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tear — to rip
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tear — from crying
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bore — to tire
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mate — a friend

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