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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 120 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: lash · row · prune · cold · scale · bore · safe · bowl

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. row — a line
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. scale — in music
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cold — not warm
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bore — to tire
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bowl — a dish

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