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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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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: hide · bay · coach · rash · mark · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mark — a grade
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rash — a series
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. coach — a trainer

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