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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bear — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. object — an aim
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. object — to protest
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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