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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wind · fine · rock · stick · season · bass · tear

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — of the year
  3. tear — to rip
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — all right
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. season — in sport
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rock — music
  13. track — a path
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. track — a song
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bass — low music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tear — from crying

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