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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spell — letters
  4. track — a song
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spell — magic
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. track — a path
  14. cue — a signal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. deal — to handle
  18. snap — to click
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. trunk — of a tree

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