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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. row — to paddle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — the underground
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. row — a line
  23. pound — a weight
  24. shower — rain

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