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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. object — a thing
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. craft — boats
  9. shower — to wash
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bound — certain
  12. spell — magic
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. object — to protest
  15. wake — a trail
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. shower — rain
  20. track — a path
  21. bound — tied together
  22. object — an aim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. track — to keep track

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