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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: roll · mate · lean · season · track · sharp · toast · nail

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lean — to bend
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. roll — a cake
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. track — a path
  12. roll — a list
  13. toast — bread
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — clever
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. season — in sport
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — thin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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