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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. dip — to sink
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. file — a document
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. spell — magic
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. file — a tool
  11. spell — letters
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. spell — a short time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. track — a path
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. track — to keep track
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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