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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · track · face · squash · spell · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bound — certain
  9. track — a song
  10. mark — a grade
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. squash — the sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. spell — magic

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