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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: straw · track · wake · branch · season · bay · ground · plane

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ground — crushed
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ground — the earth
  7. branch — a division
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. track — a path
  14. plane — a tool
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. track — a song
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ground — a position

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