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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. kid — child
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — in sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. key — for a lock
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — to tire
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. season — of the year

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