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

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — to keep track
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — letters
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. sharp — clever

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