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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: wind · perch · cabinet · pound · lash · ruler · bear · staff

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. staff — a stick
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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