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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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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: fine · wound · bore · racket · tear · bear · root · sharp

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bear — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. root — the cause
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fine — all right
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fine — high quality
  23. root — of a word
  24. bore — to tire

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