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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pound — a weight
  4. tube — a container
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kick — in football
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. scale — size or range
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bowl — to roll

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