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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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468
Word bank
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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stand — to bear
  5. file — a tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cold — an illness
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. track — a song
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. file — a document
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cold — not warm
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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