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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: ball · can · bat · track · lash · bore · sharp · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — a path
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to tire
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bat — the animal

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