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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: dip · foot · wake · track · pound · mate · spring · hand

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  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. spring — of water
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hand — in cards
  7. dip — to sink
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spring — the season
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mate — to breed
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spring — a coil
  17. track — a song
  18. hand — help
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mate — a friend
  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