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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. rock — music
  6. wax — to grow
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. prune — to trim
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. present — a gift
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rock — a stone

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