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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — a series
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. rash — hasty
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. capital — a city
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. tear — from crying
  21. capital — money
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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