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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: spell · clip · roll · perch · jam · wake · hide · track

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wake — a trail
  3. roll — a cake
  4. track — to keep track
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. clip — a video
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spell — letters
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spell — magic
  17. track — a path
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. track — a song
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. spell — a short time

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