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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pass — a permit
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bore — to drill
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. row — a line
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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