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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: nail · bass · mouse · track · rule · spell · march · lash

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. rule — government
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — a law
  5. track — a song
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. march — music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spell — letters
  19. track — to keep track
  20. march — the month
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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