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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to tire
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mug — a cup
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a face
  11. date — the fruit
  12. sharp — clever
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — a tin
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bore — to drill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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