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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 112 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mate — a friend
  3. row — to paddle
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bank — of a river
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — music
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bank — for money

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