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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. tear — to rip
  11. lie — to recline
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. snap — to click
  16. pound — a weight
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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