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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: track · bulb · rush · ground · face · leaves · field · season

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. season — of the year
  9. track — a song
  10. ground — the earth
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. field — a subject
  20. ground — a position
  21. field — farmland
  22. face — to confront
  23. track — to keep track
  24. season — in sport

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