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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. firm — steady
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. firm — a company
  10. scale — size or range
  11. band — a ring
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. firm — decided
  14. row — a line
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. squash — to crush
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. band — a music group
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. scale — in music
  24. straw — a straw man

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