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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: calf · pop · row · spell · pound · cue · tear · bark

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pop — to visit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pop — soda
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spell — magic
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pop — music
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a line
  23. cue — a signal
  24. calf — a young animal

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