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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tear — to rip
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ground — a position
  14. fall — to drop
  15. degree — from a university
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. ground — crushed
  19. degree — an amount
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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