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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. row — a line
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. drill — army training
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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