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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rash — a series
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chest — a box
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pound — for dogs

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