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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: can · kick · wind · lie · tear · root · cap · pound

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wind — moving air
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — to recline
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cap — of ice
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. can — a tin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — the cause
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pound — a weight
  23. kick — in football
  24. cap — a hat

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