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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. file — a document
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. track — a song
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to sink
  20. file — a line of people
  21. track — a path
  22. file — a tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to dunk

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