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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: lash · rash · track · fork · racket · hide · wound · fall

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — a series
  4. track — a path
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fall — the season
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a song
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wound — an injury

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