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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: wake · rule · net · track · wave · band · lash · kid

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rule — a law
  14. net — for catching
  15. track — a path
  16. net — in sport
  17. band — a music group
  18. rule — government
  19. net — after costs
  20. wake — a trail
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. track — to keep track
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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