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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: track · dip · spell · board · kid · mate · foot · rash

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. board — to get on
  4. kid — to tease
  5. spell — letters
  6. track — a song
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spell — magic
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. track — a path
  13. foot — a measure
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rash — a series
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. spell — a short time
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mate — to breed
  22. board — a committee
  23. track — to keep track
  24. kid — child

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