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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. clip — for paper
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. object — an aim
  10. clip — a video
  11. object — to protest
  12. clip — to cut
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. object — a thing
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bore — to tire

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