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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: race · leaves · bay · rest · rush · bear · sharp · season

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. race — a contest
  9. rest — what's left
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. sharp — clever
  16. race — humankind
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — a break
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. season — of the year

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