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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: saw · hand · lash · rash · pound · game · fine · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — a weight
  4. game — a match
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fine — all right
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hand — help
  12. rash — hasty
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fine — a penalty

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