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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: saw · mate · last · row · racket · cue · rock · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. cue — for pool
  3. last — finally
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cue — a signal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. row — to paddle
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. last — to go on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rock — music
  20. last — final
  21. tear — from crying
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rock — to move gently
  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