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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. cap — a lid
  7. can — a tin
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cap — a hat
  13. charge — a price
  14. row — a line
  15. cap — of ice
  16. track — a song
  17. pop — music
  18. charge — electricity
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — a tin

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