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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: bank · track · mate · rash · field · hide · suit · wound

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. suit — clothes
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bank — for money
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mate — to breed
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bank — of a river
  11. field — farmland
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — a path
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. track — to keep track
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mate — a friend
  22. rash — a series
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bank — for money

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