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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. current — electric
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — what's left
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tear — from crying
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bore — to drill
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. current — of water

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