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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a match
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bore — to drill
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tear — to rip
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tear — from crying
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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