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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: cap · saw · track · lean · key · rush · stand · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rush — hurry
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. key — in music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. track — a path
  21. lean — thin
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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