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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — a permit
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. row — a line
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cap — of ice
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. present — the time now
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cell — a phone
  18. row — to paddle
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. present — there
  24. wave — with your hand

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