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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 124 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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. clip — for paper
  6. kick — in football
  7. clip — a video
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  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