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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: bore · fan · deal · stick · last · tear · bat · board

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — to handle
  5. board — a committee
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bore — to drill
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. last — final
  15. bat — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — finally
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — to get on

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