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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: row · charge · lash · squash · band · lie · degree · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. charge — a price
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. squash — the sport
  5. degree — temperature
  6. band — a music group
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. squash — to crush
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. band — a ring
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. charge — in control
  17. lie — to recline
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. degree — from a university
  23. row — a line
  24. lie — an untruth

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