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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: ruler · last · lash · club · pound · pitcher · fine · chest

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. club — for dancing
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — to go on
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. club — a group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for golf
  19. pound — a weight
  20. last — final
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. last — finally

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