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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: bore · tear · cell · can · stick · pound · foot · squash

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. tear — to rip
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — to drill
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bore — to tire
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pound — a weight
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bore — gave birth

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