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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tube — a container
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. tear — to rip
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hide — to keep secret

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