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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tube — the underground
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tube — a container
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. row — a line
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a match
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spring — the season
  23. chest — a box
  24. spring — of water

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