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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · track · nail · fine · trunk · date · mine · spell

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. spell — magic
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — a song
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. object — a thing
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fine — all right
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. object — an aim
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spell — letters
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mine — for digging
  22. object — to protest
  23. date — the fruit
  24. track — a path

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