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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: chest · track · suit · wake · foot · pop · rock · rush

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chest — a box
  4. suit — to fit
  5. track — a song
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wake — a trail
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rush — hurry
  12. track — a path
  13. suit — clothes
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — soda
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rock — music
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pop — music

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