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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. last — finally
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. last — final
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. dip — to sink
  20. last — to go on
  21. ball — a great time
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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