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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: fall · track · rush · kick · fine · toast · ball · nail

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fine — high quality
  5. kick — in football
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. toast — bread
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — a song
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fine — all right
  13. rush — hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fall — to drop
  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