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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: snap · file · mark · kick · wave · track · hand · mug

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — in cards
  7. track — a song
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. file — a line of people
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a document
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — in football
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. snap — to click
  20. mug — a face
  21. track — a path
  22. file — a tool
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. track — to keep track

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