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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. file — a tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rock — music
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — letters
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. file — a document
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wake — a trail
  24. file — a line of people

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