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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. tear — from crying
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. present — a gift
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mine — for digging
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. staff — employees
  18. wax — to grow
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — to bear
  24. pound — for dogs

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