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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. drill — the tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. drill — army training
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a line
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. capital — a city
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — money
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. nail — for a hammer

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