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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
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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: track · date · leaves · coach · mug · last · object · spring

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. mug — a face
  5. object — to protest
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spring — of water
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — a song
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. spring — the season
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mug — a cup
  18. last — final
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. track — a path
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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