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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · track · row · tear · fan · saw · content · mouse

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. track — a song
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tear — to rip
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. content — the amount
  13. tear — from crying
  14. track — a path
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. row — a line
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. content — happy

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