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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 116 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: sharp · mark · lash · pound · race · wind · bore · spell

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pound — a weight
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. race — a contest
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. race — humankind
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spell — letters
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. sharp — with an edge

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