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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 116 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: pound · mark · rash · lash · bore · pitcher · firm · snap

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. firm — decided
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. snap — to click
  9. rash — a series
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mark — a grade
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a trace
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — hasty
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rash — on the skin

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