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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 120 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — a trail
  4. present — a gift
  5. club — a group
  6. root — of a word
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — the time now
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. track — a path
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. root — the cause
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. present — there
  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