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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — for a lock
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. spring — of water
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spring — the season
  16. key — in music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. land — to come down
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. drill — army training
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — to lash out

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