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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: track · fork · hide · wound · file · root · deal · mate

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. file — a line of people
  5. deal — to handle
  6. file — a document
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. root — the cause
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mate — a partner
  17. track — a path
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — a friend
  21. track — a song
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. track — to keep track

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