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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — clothes
  10. row — a line
  11. scale — in music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. march — the month
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. nail — on a finger

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