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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.

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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. swing — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rock — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. charge — a price
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. spell — magic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rock — a stone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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