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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: can · track · rash · rule · wake · deal · last · kick

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — hasty
  3. last — to go on
  4. track — a song
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rash — a series
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rule — a law
  9. can — a tin
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. last — final
  14. deal — to handle
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — finally
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. kick — in football
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rule — government
  22. track — a path
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. track — to keep track

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