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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: clip · bear · pound · calf · season · craft · lie · tear

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. craft — boats
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. tear — from crying
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. clip — to cut
  19. season — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. season — of the year
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. clip — a video

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