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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.

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: row · bear · nail · dip · wake · chest · date · track

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — a song
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chest — of your body
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bear — the animal
  19. track — a path
  20. chest — a box
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. row — a line

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