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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: fork · track · coach · bore · charge · snap · lash · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. charge — in control
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. charge — a price
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bore — to drill
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ground — a position
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bore — to tire
  22. track — a song
  23. ground — the earth
  24. snap — to click

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