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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · nail · march · pound · safe · bound · degree · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bound — certain
  4. degree — temperature
  5. march — the month
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. march — music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. march — the month
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bark — to shout
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bound — obliged
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. pound — a weight
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bark — of a tree

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