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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. scale — size or range
  7. root — the cause
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a plant
  10. row — a line
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. shower — to wash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. root — of a word
  19. shower — rain
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. row — to paddle

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