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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 116 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: craft · mug · track · bark · fall · trunk · wake · spring

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mug — a face
  3. spring — of water
  4. craft — boats
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. spring — the season
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a path
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. spring — a coil
  13. craft — a skill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bark — to shout
  16. track — a song
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a tree

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