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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 · clip · pound · ruler · swing · can · drill · lash

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. clip — to cut
  7. drill — the tool
  8. swing — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. drill — army training
  12. clip — a video
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. drill — a practice
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. stand — on your feet
  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