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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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Word bank
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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 · bulb · season · wound · tear · pound · dip · chip

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tear — from crying
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bore — to drill
  8. season — in sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. season — of the year
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pound — a weight

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