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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: rash · roll · wave · track · bound · press · cell · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rash — hasty
  10. roll — a cake
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — help
  14. press — newspapers
  15. roll — a list
  16. press — a publisher
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. press — to push
  21. bound — certain
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  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