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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fall — the season
  16. chip — to eat
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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