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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pound — a weight
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. root — of a word
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — from crying
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bank — for money
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. shower — rain
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. deal — to handle
  22. content — happy
  23. tear — from crying
  24. content — the amount

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