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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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Word bank
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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: pound · face · tube · can · tear · hide · object · lie

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. tear — from crying
  3. object — a thing
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tube — the underground
  9. object — an aim
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. tear — to rip
  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