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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 116 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: can · chip · track · leaves · rock · straw · tear · spell

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chip — to eat
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. spell — a short time
  5. can — a tin
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — a song
  8. tear — from crying
  9. track — to keep track
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — a path
  13. rock — a stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. chip — for betting
  16. spell — magic
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — dry grass

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