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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. pound — a weight
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — army training
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rest — a break
  12. ground — crushed
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  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