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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 120 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 · fork · wave · leaves · mouse · straw · stem · club

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. club — a group
  12. stem — to come from
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. club — for golf
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. club — for dancing
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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