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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. date — the fruit
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. track — a song
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. track — a path
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a line
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lash — to lash out

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