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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: hide · bear · drill · temple · sharp · tear · pitch · dip

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. drill — a practice
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. tear — to rip
  10. drill — army training
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tear — from crying
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tear — from crying
  24. drill — the tool

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