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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. content — happy
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. present — there
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. content — the amount
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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