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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 · ground · dip · wound · rash · sharp · track · suit

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rash — a series
  5. wound — an injury
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — a position
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. track — to keep track
  17. sharp — clever
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. track — a song

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