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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. row — to paddle
  6. last — finally
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a song
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. root — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. last — to go on
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. spell — letters
  19. present — there
  20. last — final
  21. track — a path
  22. row — a line
  23. spell — magic
  24. row — a quarrel

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