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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · capital · bore · drill · tear · wave

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tear — to rip
  9. drill — army training
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tear — from crying
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. capital — money

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