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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: squash · tear · bark · pound · root · drill · lash · pop

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pop — music
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bark — to shout
  6. drill — army training
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pound — a weight
  9. root — of a plant
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. root — the cause
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. root — of a word
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. drill — the tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pop — soda
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pop — to visit

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