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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: arm · fork · mug · snap · track · leaves · saw · cue

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cue — a signal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. snap — to click
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cue — for pool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mug — a cup
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cue — a hint
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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