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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: leaves · foot · track · season · cabinet · lash · bear · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. track — to keep track
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. season — in sport
  12. deal — to handle
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. track — a path
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. track — a song
  20. season — of the year
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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