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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. race — humankind
  4. can — a tin
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. content — happy
  7. pound — a weight
  8. race — a contest
  9. saw — the tool
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. race — the arms race
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — to be able 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