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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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. plane — a tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. content — the amount
  12. pound — a weight
  13. current — happening now
  14. content — happy
  15. current — electric
  16. rule — government
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — of water
  24. plane — in geometry

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