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

Word bank: stick · track · bat · tear · row · stem · bore · bay

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. track — a path
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. track — to keep track
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. track — a song
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bore — to drill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bat — the animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bat — in an idiom

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