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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 120 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. tear — from crying
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. present — there
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — the time now
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bass — low music
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — to be able to
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bass — the fish
  21. present — a gift
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wind — to turn a key

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