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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pop — music
  3. track — a path
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a song
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pop — soda
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mug — a face
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stem — to come from
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. last — to go on
  22. pop — to visit
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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