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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.

Make a worksheet

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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. row — to paddle
  3. track — a song
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. scale — in music
  8. row — a line
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. net — in sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. track — a path
  19. net — for catching
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. track — to keep track
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — size or range
  24. row — a quarrel

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