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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a song
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rock — music
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — in music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rock — a stone
  22. track — a path
  23. cap — a hat
  24. key — for a lock

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