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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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: rash · mug · fine · track · leaves · cold · mate · spring

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. track — a song
  3. fine — all right
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spring — of water
  11. track — a path
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. spring — a coil
  15. mug — a face
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spring — the season
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mate — a friend
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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