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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 120 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: fall · track · rush · club · game · spring · safe · lean

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. track — a path
  4. lean — thin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. club — a group
  9. game — wild animals
  10. club — for dancing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fall — the season
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. fall — to drop
  17. track — a song
  18. spring — the season
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spring — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fall — to drop
  24. spring — a coil

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