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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 120 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: pound · racket · row · scale · lash · straw · wake · suit

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pound — a weight
  8. suit — clothes
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wake — a trail
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. suit — in cards
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — to fit
  20. row — a line
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. racket — for tennis

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