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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: mark · coach · rush · season · wake · track · spring · fan

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. season — of the year
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. track — a path
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — a grade
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — in sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — the season

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