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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. court — of a king
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. charge — a price
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. charge — in control
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — electricity
  20. row — a line
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. row — a quarrel

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