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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 116 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: rush · cabinet · track · leaves · ground · bay · season · saw

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. track — a path
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ground — a position
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — in sport
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ground — crushed
  18. track — a song
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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