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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: temple · stand · snap · lash · stick · key · pound · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. key — for a lock
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pound — a weight
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. key — in music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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