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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 · stand · chip · file · lie · craft · bay

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. tear — to rip
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. craft — boats
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — on your feet
  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