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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bore — to drill
  3. press — newspapers
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. land — a country
  13. spell — letters
  14. prune — to trim
  15. land — ground
  16. hand — help
  17. press — to push
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. tear — from crying
  20. land — to come down
  21. hand — in cards
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bore — to tire
  24. craft — boats

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