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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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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: spring · craft · plane · pound · lash · kid · stick · track

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. track — a path
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — child
  7. craft — boats
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. track — a song
  13. spring — a coil
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spring — the season
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pound — to hit hard

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