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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. track — a path
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fork — in a road
  5. last — to go on
  6. present — a gift
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. present — the time now
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. last — finally
  14. present — there
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. snap — to click
  19. track — to keep track
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. last — final
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. track — a song
  24. perch — for a bird

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