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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.

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: lash · spell · wave · net · firm · pound · saw · land

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. spell — magic
  3. net — after costs
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — a country
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. firm — decided
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — ground
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. land — to come down
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — a weight
  23. net — in sport
  24. pound — for dogs

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