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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: tear · lie · bore · lean · pitcher · fan · band · mark

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. lean — thin
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bore — to tire
  9. band — a ring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lie — to recline
  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