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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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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. craft — boats
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. charge — a price
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. row — to paddle
  11. root — of a word
  12. bank — for money
  13. charge — in control
  14. root — the cause
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. row — a line
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chair — a professorship

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