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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. object — an aim
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — the tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. track — a song
  15. row — a line
  16. track — to keep track
  17. object — a thing
  18. rule — a law
  19. track — a path
  20. object — to protest
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. game — a match
  23. board — to get on
  24. game — wild animals

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