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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ball — a dance
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. ground — crushed
  7. toast — bread
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ground — a position
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. ground — the earth
  16. current — of water
  17. bore — to tire
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ball — a great time
  23. current — electric
  24. row — a line

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