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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: plane · bound · mark · track · game · kid · lash · rash

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. track — to keep track
  5. game — a match
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rash — hasty
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — a trace
  17. track — a song
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. kid — to tease
  20. track — a path
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kid — child
  24. game — wild animals

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