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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: suit · fan · track · wound · rash · march · tube · lash

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. track — a song
  6. tube — the underground
  7. march — music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. track — a path
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. tube — a container
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rash — a series
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rash — hasty
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fan — a supporter

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