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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. game — a match
  15. row — a line
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. game — wild animals
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fall — the season
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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