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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: track · trunk · dip · pass · snap · wound · fine · calf

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wound — an injury
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. snap — to click
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — all right
  22. dip — to sink
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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