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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. net — for catching
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. race — the arms race
  7. row — a line
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — there
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. net — in sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — a gift
  18. drill — a practice
  19. race — a contest
  20. drill — army training
  21. race — humankind
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — to lash out

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