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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: pound · craft · field · safe · ground · lash · wind · row

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ground — a position
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ground — crushed
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. field — farmland
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wind — moving air
  16. field — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. row — a line
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wind — moving air
  21. craft — boats
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pound — to hit hard

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