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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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Word bank
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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: row · cap · mug · lash · board · content · rush · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — a hat
  4. row — a line
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — a committee
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — of ice
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. content — the amount
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — happy
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mug — to rob
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cap — a lid
  24. row — to paddle

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