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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: rush · mark · stand · dip · racket · fall · rash · object

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. object — an aim
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stand — to bear
  15. object — a thing
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — the season
  20. object — to protest
  21. rash — a series
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fall — to drop

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