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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: dip · bore · band · safe · deal · tear · hand · trunk

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a ring
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tear — to rip
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tear — from crying
  16. band — a music group
  17. hand — help
  18. bore — to drill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — in cards
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bore — to tire

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