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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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. track — a song
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. track — a path
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lie — to recline
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. file — a document
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tube — a container

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