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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. current — electric
  5. present — there
  6. current — of water
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. present — the time now
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. drill — the tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — a gift
  24. temple — side of the head

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