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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: deal · rash · hand · jam · wave · fall · track · kick

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. kick — in football
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rash — hasty
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fall — the season
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. hand — in cards
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. track — a song

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