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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. track — a path
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tear — from crying
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tear — to rip

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