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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 120 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bore — to drill
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. band — a music group
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lean — thin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. band — a ring
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tear — from crying
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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