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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. root — the cause
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bank — of a river
  8. root — of a word
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pass — a permit
  12. track — a path
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. root — of a plant
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bank — for money
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pass — to spend time

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