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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 116 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: snap · wound · leaves · track · pop · lash · fork · present

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. track — a path
  2. present — the time now
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. present — a gift
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. present — there
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. fork — in a road
  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