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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of law
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pop — music
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — soda
  19. clip — a video
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — of a king
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fan — to cool the air

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