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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: wind · jam · stand · bay · tear · drill · bore · net

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. drill — army training
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stand — to bear
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tear — from crying
  16. net — for catching
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. net — in sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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