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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 116 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: track · coach · rush · bass · fall · rock · row · season

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. season — of the year
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — music
  8. track — a path
  9. bass — low music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. season — in sport
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. track — a song
  20. row — a line
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fall — the season
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fall — to drop

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