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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: wave · track · kid · key · leaves · face · stand · bark

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stand — to bear
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. key — for a lock
  11. track — a song
  12. key — in music
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kid — child
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stand — for spectators

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