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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. row — a line
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tear — from crying
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bark — to shout
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wind — moving air

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