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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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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: deal · mug · tear · track · lash · wake · charge · stick

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. charge — a price
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. charge — in control
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tear — to rip
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — to rob
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. track — a path
  23. charge — electricity
  24. deal — to handle

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