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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kick — in football
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. craft — boats
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spring — of water
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. staff — employees
  19. chip — for betting
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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