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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cell — in biology
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. bat — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — magic

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