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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bear — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. tear — from crying
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — the time now
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pop — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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