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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. suit — in cards
  9. net — for catching
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. net — after costs
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wind — moving air

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