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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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468
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: track · leaves · face · ball · stick · bound · plane · rash

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. track — to keep track
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — a song
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ball — a dance
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rash — a series
  20. track — a path
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. face — to point toward

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