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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: wake · rock · mark · trunk · lash · date · rash · game

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rash — hasty
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a match
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rock — music
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. game — wild animals
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lash — to lash out

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