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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — after costs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a document
  11. tear — from crying
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. can — a tin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bore — to drill
  22. file — a line of people
  23. net — in sport
  24. bore — to tire

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