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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: mate · fall · wave · fork · rash · track · nail · bark

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fall — the season
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a song
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mate — a friend

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