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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: rash · lie · mark · track · cell · object · hand · spell

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. track — a path
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — an aim
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — magic
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mark — a grade
  16. object — to protest
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hand — help
  23. spell — letters
  24. cell — a phone

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