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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. hand — help
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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