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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: track · lie · spell · wake · roll · jam · file · stick

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a document
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — to keep track
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. roll — a list
  10. file — a line of people
  11. spell — magic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. roll — a cake
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. spell — a short time
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. file — a tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spell — letters
  22. lie — to recline
  23. track — a path
  24. lie — an untruth

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