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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: roll · rush · cue · leaves · pound · wound · track · chest

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wound — an injury
  4. roll — a list
  5. cue — a hint
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. track — a path
  15. chest — a box
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. roll — a cake
  20. chest — of your body
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cue — for pool

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