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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rush — hurry
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. squash — the sport
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bound — obliged

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