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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: track · row · bore · tear · lean · rock · lash · file

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rock — music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. file — a document
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. row — to paddle
  17. track — a song
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bore — to tire
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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