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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 120 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: tear · hide · stick · foot · clip · land · bear · mate

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — a video
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. foot — a measure
  12. clip — for paper
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — to cut
  15. land — ground
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — to breed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bear — to put up with

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