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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: fall · present · track · dip · bank · bark · chest · key

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. track — to keep track
  9. present — a gift
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chest — a box
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. present — there
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — a path
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — of a river
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. track — a song
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. bark — to shout

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