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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tear — to rip
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pound — a weight
  5. root — the cause
  6. clip — a video
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rush — hurry
  12. clip — for paper
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — in football
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. root — of a word

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