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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. suit — clothes
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. land — ground
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — child
  15. suit — to fit
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. firm — a company

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