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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. land — a country
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. land — to come down
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. club — for golf
  15. land — ground
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. kid — child
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. club — a group
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — for dancing
  24. patient — a sick person

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