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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. kick — in football
  6. firm — steady
  7. bore — to tire
  8. chip — for betting
  9. firm — decided
  10. bore — to drill
  11. firm — a company
  12. tear — from crying
  13. drill — a practice
  14. last — finally
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. band — a ring
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. chip — to eat
  20. last — to go on
  21. drill — army training
  22. last — final
  23. drill — the tool
  24. band — a music group

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