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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — the amount
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. content — happy
  15. band — a ring
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. band — a music group
  18. dip — to sink
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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