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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — magic
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. row — a line
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — letters
  22. lean — thin
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fan — a supporter

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