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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
468
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: wake · face · bark · cue · stick · land · bulb · track

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cue — a signal
  20. land — ground
  21. cue — a hint
  22. face — to confront
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wake — a trail

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