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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: nail · pound · lash · date · ground · bore · root · row

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. root — of a word
  8. ground — crushed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. root — of a plant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. row — a line
  20. root — the cause
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ground — a position
  24. lash — to lash out

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