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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kick · straw · bear · season · track · mine · nail · bark

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — in sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a path
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. season — of the year
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mine — for digging

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