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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: track · coach · saw · safe · prune · snap

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. track — a song
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. snap — to click
  15. track — a path
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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