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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: lie · lash · pound · kid · tear · march · track · bay

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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 — for dogs
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. march — the month
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a song
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. march — music
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. track — a path
  21. kid — child
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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