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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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468
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: perch · fan · snap · mate · dip · wave · track · rash

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mate — to breed
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mate — a partner
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. track — a song
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. mate — a friend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. snap — to click

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