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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: lash · safe · row · net · rash · hide · key · fall

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — to paddle
  3. net — in sport
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. net — for catching
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. key — the most important part
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — the season
  16. rash — a series
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. net — after costs
  21. fall — to drop
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. row — a line

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