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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 120 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 · can · pit · kick · mug · lash · hand · chest

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chest — a box
  3. mug — to rob
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — a face
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. kick — in football
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pit — in a race
  15. can — a tin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. hand — help

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