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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bore — to tire
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. craft — a skill
  13. scale — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pound — a weight
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. pit — a hole

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