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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · track · lash · wake · perch · pop · spell · race

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. race — the arms race
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pop — music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. perch — the fish
  7. race — humankind
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. track — a path
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spell — magic
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. spell — letters
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pop — soda
  21. track — a song
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. race — a contest

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