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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — steady
  4. bear — the animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tube — the underground
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — to wash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bear — the animal
  17. firm — a company
  18. race — humankind
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lean — thin
  23. row — to paddle
  24. lash — an eyelash

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