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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wind — moving air
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rush — hurry
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wind — moving air

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