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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 116 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — finally
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. degree — temperature
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pass — a permit
  10. game — wild animals
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. drill — army training
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. last — final
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. degree — from a university
  20. degree — an amount
  21. last — to go on
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a match

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