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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
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: lash · pound · scale · race · bulb · bound · march · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. race — a contest
  7. bound — certain
  8. race — humankind
  9. pound — a weight
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. march — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. scale — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — the arms race
  20. march — the month
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — tied together

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