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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — a trace
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — from crying
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pound — a weight
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. track — a song
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. tear — from crying
  21. toast — bread
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. spell — a short 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