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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. present — the time now
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. present — there
  8. march — music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pound — a weight
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — bread
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. face — to confront

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