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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: last · rest · ruler · pound · lash · bay · can · race

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rest — what's left
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — humankind
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. last — to go on
  18. race — a contest
  19. last — finally
  20. pound — a weight
  21. can — a tin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rest — a break
  24. last — final

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