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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: saw · chest · track · foot · ruler · lash · plane · fork

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. chest — a box
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fork — in a road
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. track — a path
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. foot — a measure
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. foot — part of the body

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