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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. file — a tool
  9. club — for golf
  10. bass — low music
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bass — the fish
  13. present — the time now
  14. pound — a weight
  15. file — a document
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. club — a group
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. present — there
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — a gift
  23. club — for dancing
  24. dip — a sauce

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