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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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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 a veil over the lips.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tear — to rip
  5. cue — a signal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cue — for pool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. craft — boats
  10. degree — from a university
  11. degree — temperature
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cue — a hint
  14. chip — to eat
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. chip — for betting
  20. tear — from crying
  21. degree — an amount
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lie — an untruth

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