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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. clip — a video
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wake — a trail
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. row — a line
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. present — there
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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