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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 124 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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. lean — to bend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. land — a country
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pound — a weight
  17. land — to come down
  18. lean — thin
  19. firm — a company
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. land — ground
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fork — in a road

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