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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: lie · foot · wind · tear · bore · track · arm · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a song
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — after costs
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — for catching
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tear — from crying
  15. track — to keep track
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — a path
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. foot — a measure
  24. arm — part of the body

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