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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pop — soda
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. row — to paddle
  24. hand — help

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