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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: nail · suit · season · rush · mouse · stand · bay · track

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — of the year
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a path
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. season — in sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. nail — on a finger

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