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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tear — from crying
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ball — a great time
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. content — the amount
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — a song
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bore — to drill
  21. track — a path
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. tear — to rip

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