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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — to drill
  5. tear — to rip
  6. last — final
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pop — soda
  9. current — electric
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rule — a law
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rule — government
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lean — thin
  22. pop — music
  23. current — happening now
  24. nail — for a hammer

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