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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: mark · lean · track · stick · ground · hide · bark · spell

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lean — to bend
  3. spell — magic
  4. track — to keep track
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ground — crushed
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ground — a position
  24. spell — letters

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