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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pound — a weight
  8. drill — army training
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pop — to visit
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pop — soda
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pop — music

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