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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: track · saw · lean · perch · stem · bore · chair · fork

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lean — thin
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fork — in a road
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — a song
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a path
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  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