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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 · firm · tear · last · suit · pound · shower · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. tear — from crying
  7. firm — a company
  8. suit — in cards
  9. shower — rain
  10. last — finally
  11. cold — not warm
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bore — to drill
  14. last — final
  15. last — to go on
  16. firm — steady
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. suit — to fit
  19. firm — decided
  20. tear — from crying
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. tear — to rip
  24. suit — clothes

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