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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · squash · cap · bore · pound · bowl

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cap — of ice
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bore — to drill
  18. pound — to hit hard

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