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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. row — to paddle
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. scale — size or range
  9. tear — from crying
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. row — a line
  12. tear — from crying
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tear — to rip
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wake — a trail
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bulb — for light

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