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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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Word bank
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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: craft · date · lean · game · pound · bore · rock · lash

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bore — to tire
  8. game — a match
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lean — thin
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. craft — boats
  14. rock — music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. date — the fruit
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bore — to drill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lean — to bend

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