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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pound — a weight
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. scale — in music
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. scale — size or range
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tube — a container
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — a supporter

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