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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · bulb · tear · kick · pound · fall

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kick — in football
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — for light
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — a weight

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