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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · row · hand · court · game · rush

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hand — in cards
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. court — of a king
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hand — help
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rush — hurry

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