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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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468
Word bank
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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fall — the season
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. suit — to fit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fall — to drop
  9. row — a line
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. suit — in cards
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. snap — to click
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. wake — a trail

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