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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. drill — army training
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. cap — of ice
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — a practice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. staff — employees
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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