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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — for sport
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — farmland
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — hurry
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. field — a subject

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