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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: content · spell · file · fall · safe · track · coach · fork

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. spell — magic
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fall — to drop
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — the amount
  11. track — a path
  12. file — a document
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. content — happy
  15. fork — in a road
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. fall — the season
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. track — a song
  23. fall — to drop
  24. file — a 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