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

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — a partner
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spell — a short time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — letters
  8. mate — to breed
  9. track — a song
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — magic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — a strongbox

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