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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bass — low music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — to drill
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bass — the fish
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — to rip
  24. plane — an aircraft

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