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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rock — music
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. row — a line
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. file — a document
  22. row — to paddle
  23. file — a tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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