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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: lie · track · hand · net · wake · mug · rash · pit

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mug — a face
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. track — a song
  21. hand — help
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hand — in cards

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