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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
468
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: fall · court · row · lash · track · ball · rash · pass

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. track — to keep track
  3. rash — hasty
  4. track — a path
  5. pass — a permit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. court — of law
  11. fall — the season
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. row — a line
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. track — a song
  16. court — of a king
  17. ball — a great time
  18. court — for sport
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rash — a series
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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