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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 120 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: rash · spell · present · court · lash · stem · track · tube

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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. stem — to come from
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. track — to keep track
  6. present — the time now
  7. spell — letters
  8. tube — the underground
  9. track — a path
  10. tube — a container
  11. court — of a king
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. present — there
  14. spell — magic
  15. rash — hasty
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. court — for sport
  18. rash — a series
  19. present — a gift
  20. court — of law
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rash — on the skin

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