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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: stick · tear · cold · bay · ruler · bore · file · capital

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. capital — money
  3. file — a document
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a line of people
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to drill
  19. capital — a city
  20. cold — not warm
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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