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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mark — a grade
  6. date — the fruit
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mug — a face
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wind — moving air
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. row — a line
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — a trace
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mug — to rob

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