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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: band · firm · tear · bore · rest · wake · dip · saw

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — steady
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wake — a trail
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tear — to rip
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bore — to tire
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. band — a music group
  24. firm — decided

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