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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
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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 · snap · foot · pop · rule · track · lean · wound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. pop — soda
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. track — a song
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pop — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lean — thin
  12. track — a path
  13. snap — to click
  14. rash — a series
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rule — government
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. lean — to bend
  20. track — to keep track
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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