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

Word bank: cell · cap · rock · dip · bore · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rock — music
  5. bore — to tire
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce

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