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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · lash · court · track · leaves · spell · pound · wave

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — a song
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. court — of a king
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rush — hurry
  13. court — for sport
  14. spell — magic
  15. track — a path
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. court — of law
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spell — a short time
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. leaves — to go away

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