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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: saw · track · racket · leaves · stem · fall · rush · fine

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. saw — the tool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fall — to drop
  10. track — a path
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fine — all right
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — hurry
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fall — the season
  21. fine — high quality
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. saw — the tool

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