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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bank — of a river
  4. row — a line
  5. bank — for money
  6. roll — a list
  7. track — to keep track
  8. snap — to click
  9. track — a path
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. roll — a cake
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — a committee
  18. tear — to rip
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. track — a song
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bank — for money
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. board — to get on

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