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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. charge — a price
  5. bark — to shout
  6. charge — electricity
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bat — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — in music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. track — a path
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. key — the most important part
  24. track — a song

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