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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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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bank — for money
  3. ground — the earth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — a position
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — a song
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — crushed
  14. track — a path
  15. bank — of a river
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger

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