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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.

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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: wake · fork · bore · capital · track · rest · plane · tube

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rest — what's left
  4. track — a path
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. fork — in a road
  11. track — a song
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. tube — a container
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. track — to keep track
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rest — a break
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wake — a trail

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