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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — decided
  6. tear — from crying
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — a stone
  9. dip — to sink
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. rest — a break
  19. rock — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. firm — steady
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rest — what's left

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