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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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 quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rash — a series
  7. bass — low music
  8. shower — rain
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. row — a line
  23. shower — to wash
  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