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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rash — a series
  8. club — for dancing
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. club — a group
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. club — for golf
  24. rush — hurry

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