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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: straw · season · suit · shower · lash · pound · rash · track

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. season — in sport
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. track — to keep track
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. track — a path
  12. suit — to fit
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — a song
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. shower — to wash
  18. suit — in cards
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. season — of the year
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. shower — rain

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