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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cell — in biology
  13. plane — a tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — a phone
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. coach — a trainer

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