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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bat — the animal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. firm — decided
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pound — a weight
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — a company
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. firm — steady
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mouse — for a computer

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