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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. kid — child
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. firm — decided
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bore — to drill
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — a company
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kid — to tease
  23. firm — steady
  24. tear — from crying

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