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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — a path
  6. row — to paddle
  7. hand — help
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. row — a line
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bound — certain
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. track — a song
  24. bowl — to roll

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