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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bound — tied together
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bound — certain
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tear — from crying
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. lash — an eyelash

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