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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. row — a line
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. row — a quarrel

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