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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. present — there
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. craft — boats
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — the time now
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. board — to get on
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rock — a stone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. board — a committee
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. row — a line
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rash — a series

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