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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 116 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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. tear — from crying
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bass — low music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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