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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.

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: bowl · track · charge · trunk · mark · bay · clip · calf

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. charge — electricity
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. clip — for paper
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. track — a song
  18. clip — to cut
  19. charge — a price
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. clip — a video
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. track — a path

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