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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 · season · wake · arm · patient · lean · board · saw

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. season — in sport
  4. wake — a trail
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. track — a path
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — to bend
  12. track — to keep track
  13. lean — thin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — a song
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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