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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: deal · rash · racket · wave · straw · track · mouse · drill

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. track — a path
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. track — a song
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rash — a series
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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