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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. 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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. scale — size or range
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a ring
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — in music
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. band — a music group
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to click
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. craft — boats
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — from crying

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