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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. clip — a video
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. rock — a stone
  7. clip — to cut
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. row — to paddle
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — music
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stem — to come from
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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