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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: roll · rush · hand · track · wake · net · dip · stick

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. hand — in cards
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rush — hurry
  8. roll — a cake
  9. net — in sport
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hand — help
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. roll — a list
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. net — after costs
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. track — a song
  24. rush — to hurry

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