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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. row — a line
  12. file — a document
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a line of people
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. board — to get on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. track — a song
  23. file — a tool
  24. board — a committee

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