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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 · nail · lash · content · chip · straw · rash · shower

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. shower — rain
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. shower — to wash
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. content — the amount
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — happy
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — to lash out

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