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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · rash · bay · wound · rock · chest · season · mine

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mine — for digging
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rash — a series
  12. chest — of your body
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — of the year
  19. rock — music
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. season — in sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — an injury

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