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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: band · dip · pit · track · mark · spell · leaves · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. spell — a short time
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. band — a music group
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spell — magic
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pit — a hole
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. band — a ring
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spell — letters
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. track — a path
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pit — in a race

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