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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — a partner
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tear — to rip
  12. spell — letters
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bore — to drill
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — to breed

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