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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: lash · bowl · dip · pound · board · leaves · wind · saw

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — to sink
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wind — moving air
  20. board — a committee
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. board — to get on
  24. pound — for dogs

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