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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. can — a tin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cell — a phone
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. lash — an eyelash

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