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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bore — to tire
  4. foot — a measure
  5. tear — from crying
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wind — moving air
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tube — a container
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bulb — of a plant

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