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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — to paddle
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. cap — of ice
  14. kick — in football
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cap — a hat
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cap — a lid
  23. suit — to fit
  24. mark — a grade

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