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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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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: face · scale · suit · row · rock · track · saw · dip

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. face — to point toward
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — a stone
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rock — music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — in music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. scale — size or range
  17. track — a song
  18. face — to confront
  19. dip — to sink
  20. suit — in cards
  21. suit — clothes
  22. face — part of the head
  23. row — to paddle
  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