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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 120 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: lie · bark · fine · track · cabinet · rock · cap · tear

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rock — music
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — high quality
  5. track — a song
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — a hat
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — a path
  22. fine — all right
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cap — a lid

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