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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. spell — a short time
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tear — from crying
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spell — letters
  9. net — for catching
  10. cue — a hint
  11. net — in sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bear — the animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. race — the arms race
  21. net — after costs
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spell — magic
  24. pound — a weight

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