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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: file · lash · pound · temple · clip · ball · fan · rest

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ball — a great time
  6. clip — a video
  7. rest — what's left
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. file — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. file — a document
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. clip — for paper
  24. rest — a break

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