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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — decided
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. firm — a company
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spell — letters
  18. rock — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. tear — from crying
  22. spell — magic
  23. firm — steady
  24. date — on the calendar

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