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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. row — to paddle
  3. object — to protest
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. row — a line
  7. sharp — clever
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a dance
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. board — to get on
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. object — an aim
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bulb — for light

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