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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rock — music
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. field — farmland
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. field — for sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. track — a song
  23. wind — moving air
  24. field — a subject

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