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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. key — for a lock
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — hurry
  18. key — in music
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pass — to spend time

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