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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · track · file · straw · trunk · bear · lie · nail

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. file — a document
  21. lie — to recline
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a tool

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