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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: snap · hide · rock · row · ground · pass · rush · rash

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — a series
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. row — a line
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pass — a permit

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