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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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468
Word bank
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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — all right
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rash — a series
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bass — low music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pound — a weight
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kid — child
  24. tear — to rip

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