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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. tube — a container
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wake — a trail
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — a trace
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tear — to rip
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bore — gave birth

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