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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 116 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — for catching
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. face — part of the head
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. face — to point toward
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rush — hurry
  19. face — to confront
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. row — a line
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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