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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. band — a ring
  3. plane — a tool
  4. capital — money
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ground — a position
  7. stand — to bear
  8. ground — the earth
  9. club — for golf
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. band — a music group
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. club — for dancing
  18. row — a line
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. club — a group
  21. capital — a city
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. capital — a big letter

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