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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: track · fine · band · spell · leaves · bark · bore · calf

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. track — a path
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. band — a ring
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. track — a song
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. fine — all right
  14. spell — magic
  15. band — a music group
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. calf — a young animal

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