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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: pound · rash · tube · mug · foot · nail · rock · wake

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. tube — a container
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rock — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pound — a weight
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — a series
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. rock — to move gently

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