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

Word bank: hand · spell · suit · track · mouse · branch · rule · mark

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. track — a path
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rule — a law
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — help
  19. track — a song
  20. mark — a trace
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. suit — in cards

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