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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: lean · track · saw · club · season · stick · stem · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — a path
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stem — to come from
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — for golf
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rash — a series
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. season — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. lean — thin
  22. season — of the year
  23. club — a group
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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