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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: ruler · track · press · dip · spell · stock · nail · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. spell — a short time
  3. track — a song
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stock — goods
  16. press — a publisher
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stock — shares
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. press — to push
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. press — newspapers

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