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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. drill — army training
  3. row — to paddle
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ground — a position
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chest — a box
  17. fine — all right
  18. ground — the earth
  19. net — after costs
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. drill — a practice
  23. net — for catching
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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