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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. hand — help
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a line
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. 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