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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. firm — decided
  11. root — of a plant
  12. tear — to rip
  13. firm — a company
  14. root — the cause
  15. rash — hasty
  16. root — of a word
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rash — a series
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. firm — steady

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