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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. spell — magic
  8. mate — to breed
  9. race — the arms race
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — a partner
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mouse — the animal

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