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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hide — to keep secret

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