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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — in football
  7. fall — the season
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. track — a path
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stem — to come from

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