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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. track — a path
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spell — letters
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tear — from crying

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