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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · bowl · bore · nail · pound · lash · march · season

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. season — of the year
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pound — a weight
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  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