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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. row — a line
  3. track — a path
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. scale — in music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. scale — size or range
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — to keep track
  11. root — the cause
  12. fall — the season
  13. firm — decided
  14. track — a song
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. firm — steady
  18. tear — to rip
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — a company

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