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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bore — to drill
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. key — in music
  17. rash — a series
  18. face — to confront
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lash — to lash out

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