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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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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: snap · drill · hide · track · stem · wake · saw · fork

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fork — in a road
  3. saw — the tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — a trail
  10. track — a path
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. snap — to click
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. saw — the tool
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fork — to eat with

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