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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. plane — a tool
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. shower — to wash
  13. scale — in music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. last — finally
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. last — final
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — size or range
  22. shower — rain
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. last — to go on

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