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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rash — a series
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. capital — money
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. firm — a company
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — steady
  21. capital — a city
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. tear — from crying

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