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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: lash · lean · rash · wake · chip · land · track · foot

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rash — hasty
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. land — ground
  6. track — to keep track
  7. land — a country
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rash — a series
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. track — a song
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chip — for betting
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — to bend

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