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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. season — of the year
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. track — a path
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. track — a song
  15. rash — a series
  16. fork — in a road
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — the cause
  20. season — in sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. track — to keep track

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