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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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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. net — after costs
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. net — in sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — for catching
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bore — to tire

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