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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: mate · sharp · bulb · track · foot · rush · stand · leaves

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. mate — a friend
  4. track — a path
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mate — to breed
  12. sharp — clever
  13. track — a song
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mate — a partner
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rush — to hurry

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