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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · roll · snap · object · track · trunk · rash · cap

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — a song
  3. object — to protest
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. object — an aim
  6. cap — a hat
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. rash — hasty
  12. track — a path
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. roll — a list
  16. roll — a cake
  17. track — to keep track
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — a series
  21. cap — of ice
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. snap — to click
  24. row — a line

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