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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 · track · bore · saw · pound · lean · rush · ground

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lean — to bend
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a path
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rash — a series
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bore — to drill
  10. track — a song
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ground — a position
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pound — a weight
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lean — thin
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — a thrill

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