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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pound — a weight
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hand — help
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. band — a music group
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hand — in cards
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tear — to rip

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