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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. dip — to sink
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — boats
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rule — government

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