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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. land — a country
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — to come down
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. land — ground
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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