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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: deal · track · tear · clip · stick · pop · coach · wake

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. clip — a video
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — soda
  20. clip — to cut
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. tear — from crying

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