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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. stand — to bear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. object — an aim
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. object — to protest
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. row — a line
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — a thing
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. row — to paddle
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. branch — a division
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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