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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
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: dip · hide · wake · track · wind · rock · rash · lean

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. track — a song
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rock — a stone
  16. track — to keep track
  17. lean — thin
  18. rash — a series
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a path
  23. dip — to sink
  24. wind — to turn a key

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