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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pop — to visit
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pop — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cap — a hat
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pop — soda

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