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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: rock · jam · saw · lie · wake · season · track · squash

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — in sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — the sport
  7. track — a path
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. squash — to crush
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — music
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. track — a song
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lie — to recline

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