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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: stand · ruler · pound · march · squash · wound · bowl · lash

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. ruler — for measuring

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