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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.

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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: sharp · leaves · bark · deal · fan · lie · track · rock

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — to shout
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rock — a stone
  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