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

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — steady
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. row — a line
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. firm — a company
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pound — a weight
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — decided
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lash — to lash out

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