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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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 — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. track — a path
  5. row — to paddle
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. track — a song
  10. tear — from crying
  11. last — finally
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — to keep track
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. last — final
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — high quality
  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