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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mate — a partner
  3. tear — to rip
  4. row — a line
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. row — to paddle
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. safe — a strongbox

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