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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — the cause
  6. hand — help
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hand — in cards
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — the tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mate — to breed
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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