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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rash — hasty
  7. club — a group
  8. bound — tied together
  9. club — for golf
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bound — certain
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — letters
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cue — a signal
  23. spell — magic
  24. fall — the season

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