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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. row — to paddle
  3. file — a line of people
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. track — a path
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. file — a document
  9. track — to keep track
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. track — a song
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. file — a tool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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