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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: leaves · bulb · track · mark · lean · fork · dip · net

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. net — for catching
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — in sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a song
  10. lean — to bend
  11. net — after costs
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. track — a path
  17. dip — to sink
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fork — in a road
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mark — a trace
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — a grade

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