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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 120 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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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: track · kick · trunk · kid · spell · stick · bay · bore

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bore — to drill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — a path
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spell — a short time
  16. kick — in football
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — magic
  24. kid — child

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