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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: straw · bound · track · mark · rush · game · lash · firm

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — obliged
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — hurry
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mark — a trace
  13. firm — steady
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. firm — decided
  17. mark — a grade
  18. firm — a company
  19. track — a path
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bound — certain
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. game — a match
  24. straw — dry grass

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