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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: lash · cap · hand · drill · pound · wave · object · date

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hand — help
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cap — of ice
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cap — a hat
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. object — to protest
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cap — a lid
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — an aim
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wave — with your hand

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