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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: rash · safe · wake · track · chair · mark · tear · ruler

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. track — a song
  4. mark — a trace
  5. tear — from crying
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. track — to keep track
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chair — a leader
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — on the skin

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