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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · track · mug · leaves · pop · content · wind · lash

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — a face
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pop — music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fall — the season
  7. wind — moving air
  8. content — happy
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fall — to drop
  16. track — to keep track
  17. content — the amount
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. pop — to visit
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pop — soda
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lash — an eyelash

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