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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: bark · bear · spell · track · lean · club · rest · cue

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — thin
  4. track — a song
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. club — for golf
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. spell — magic
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — a signal
  15. club — a group
  16. rest — a break
  17. lean — to bend
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. track — a path
  24. rest — what's left

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