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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. capital — a city
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. row — to paddle
  9. last — finally
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bear — the animal
  13. row — a line
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. capital — money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. nail — for a hammer

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