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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · row · racket · lean · bore · bass · capital · lash

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a city
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lean — to bend
  14. capital — money
  15. squash — to crush
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. row — a line
  20. bass — the fish
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lean — thin

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