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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · lash · pop · bear · prune · sharp · wake · face

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pop — music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. face — to point toward
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. sharp — clever

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