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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: deal · lash · ruler · bound · date · rush · present · row

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. present — the time now
  5. bound — tied together
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. present — a gift
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — there

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