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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tear — from crying
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mug — to rob
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. can — a tin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mug — a face
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. kick — in football
  24. tear — from crying

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