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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fall — the season
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. track — a song
  10. fall — to drop
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. track — a path
  13. scale — in music
  14. toast — bread
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — to keep track
  19. kid — child
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. kid — to tease
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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