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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 124 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cap — a hat
  3. spring — the season
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. spring — of water
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. net — for catching
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cap — a lid
  17. net — in sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spring — a coil
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pound — a weight

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