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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tear — to rip
  3. row — to paddle
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. tear — from crying
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. charge — in control
  16. rush — hurry
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. pound — a weight
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. scale — in music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. tear — from crying

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