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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 116 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: leaves · pitcher · sharp · tear · dip · field · bore · nail

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bore — to drill
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bore — to tire
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. field — a subject
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — for sport
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tear — from crying
  21. field — farmland
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. leaves — lets stay

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