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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: lash · mug · rest · fine · jam · drill · fall · pound

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — what's left
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. drill — army training
  12. fall — the season
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rest — a break
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a face
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — the tool

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