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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bore — to tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bulb — for light

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