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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. pit — a hole
  3. present — a gift
  4. pit — in a race
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. capital — a city
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — the time now
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. capital — money
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — there
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — a line
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lash — an eyelash

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