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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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — for money
  6. root — the cause
  7. track — to keep track
  8. root — of a plant
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. root — of a word
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — a song
  16. bank — for money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — to paddle
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bank — of a river
  24. plane — a tool

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