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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · tear · toast · wake · bore · can · court · leaves

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. court — of a king
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. tear — to rip
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bat — the animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bore — to tire
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. court — of law
  24. tear — from crying

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