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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — the season
  7. bass — low music
  8. bear — the animal
  9. row — a line
  10. rock — a stone
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bound — tied together
  17. object — a thing
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spring — of water
  20. rock — music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. object — an aim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. object — to protest

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