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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. firm — steady
  3. fall — the season
  4. firm — decided
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. staff — employees
  7. march — the month
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — to paddle
  12. last — finally
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — music
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. last — final
  17. firm — a company
  18. fall — to drop
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. last — to go on
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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