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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. row — to paddle
  3. track — a path
  4. toast — bread
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mark — a grade
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. mark — a trace
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. track — a song
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. row — a line
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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