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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: mark · track · rash · kid · present · hand · lean · object

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. lean — thin
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kid — child
  9. object — an aim
  10. present — there
  11. lean — to bend
  12. object — a thing
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hand — help
  17. rash — a series
  18. mark — a grade
  19. present — a gift
  20. rash — hasty
  21. object — to protest
  22. present — the time now
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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