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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: mate · squash · rash · key · prune · saw · track · leaves

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mate — a partner
  4. squash — the sport
  5. key — in music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. key — for a lock
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mate — a friend
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rash — a series
  18. squash — to crush
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — to trim
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rash — on the skin

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