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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: mug · saw · stick · mate · face · row · track · present

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — there
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mug — a face
  11. present — the time now
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — a friend
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — a gift
  16. track — to keep track
  17. face — to confront
  18. mug — a cup
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mug — to rob
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a path

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