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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — employees
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. band — a music group
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. fine — high quality
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. band — a ring
  12. row — a line
  13. net — after costs
  14. current — electric
  15. staff — a stick
  16. net — in sport
  17. bat — the animal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — all right
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. net — for catching

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