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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fall — to drop
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. degree — temperature
  9. row — a line
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pound — a weight
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fall — the season
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pound — to hit hard

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