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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. tear — from crying
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. pound — a weight
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. tear — from crying
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitch — completely

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