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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: track · lean · mark · season · rash · cold · mouse · chip

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. track — a song
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. lean — to bend
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rash — a series
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — thin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cold — not warm
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — a path

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