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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. race — humankind
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. can — a tin
  8. mark — a grade
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to drill
  20. race — the arms race
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pitcher — a jug

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