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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: bass · kick · calf · land · charge · tear · pound · kid

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. pound — a weight
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. charge — a price
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. land — ground
  11. charge — in control
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kick — in football
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. tear — to rip
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. bass — low music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kid — child

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