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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. land — a country
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — all right
  11. net — in sport
  12. track — a song
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. row — a line
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. track — a path
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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