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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. object — a thing
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. object — an aim
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. charge — in control
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. present — a gift
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. object — to protest

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