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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pound — a weight
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — government
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. date — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — a law
  15. tube — a container
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. roll — a list
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. deal — to handle

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