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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. plane — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. dip — to sink
  5. shower — to wash
  6. snap — to click
  7. shower — rain
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pound — a weight
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. safe — out of danger

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