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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: pop · saw · track · rule · rest · row · bear · temple

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. row — a line
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. track — a path
  13. bear — the animal
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rule — government
  16. pop — soda
  17. rest — a break
  18. pop — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. row — to paddle
  24. temple — side of the head

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