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

Word bank: pound · bass · safe · stick · drill · lean · lash · kid

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — army training
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bass — the fish
  12. drill — the tool
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — low music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — child
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lean — to bend
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — the instrument

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