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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 equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tear — to rip
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. prune — to trim
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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