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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: pound · tear · dip · lash · racket · net · bay · stand

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. net — after costs
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. net — in sport
  24. tear — to rip

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