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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: stand · lash · rush · row · land · key · kid · present

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. row — to paddle
  3. present — the time now
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. key — in music
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. land — to come down
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kid — to tease
  11. key — the most important part
  12. land — a country
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kid — child
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. row — a line
  19. present — there
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. land — ground
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. present — a gift
  24. stand — for spectators

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