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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: track · fork · rush · leaves · trunk · wake · field · lie

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. field — a subject
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. field — for sport
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. field — farmland
  15. fork — in a road
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. track — a song

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