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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a song
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. scale — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — finally
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wake — a trail
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. track — a path
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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