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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. firm — decided
  3. race — humankind
  4. drill — a practice
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — army training
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. dip — to sink
  11. firm — steady
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bank — for money
  16. race — the arms race
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bank — of a river
  20. firm — a company
  21. drill — the tool
  22. row — a line
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. race — a contest

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