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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — a box
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. row — a line
  7. tear — from crying
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — for a lock
  12. saw — the tool
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pitch — completely
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. saw — the tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the 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