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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: squash · last · track · sharp · lie · racket · mine · wake

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — a song
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. last — final
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. last — to go on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. squash — to crush
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wake — a trail
  23. squash — the sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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