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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: mouse · dip · spell · chest · trunk · track · stock · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — to keep track
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — a path
  11. chest — of your body
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chest — a box
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stock — shares
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. track — a song
  23. stock — goods
  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