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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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468
Word bank
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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. game — a match
  11. band — a ring
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stand — to bear
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stand — for spectators

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