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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. bank — for money
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spring — of water
  13. game — wild animals
  14. file — a line of people
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. file — a document
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. row — a line
  22. bank — for money
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. game — a match

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