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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: ball · track · row · bound · wake · trunk · lash · can

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bound — tied together
  4. row — a line
  5. track — a song
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ball — a great time
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. can — to be able to
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. can — a tin
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bound — obliged
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bound — certain

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