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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. drill — the tool
  3. track — a song
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fall — to drop
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — a path
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fall — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. drill — army training
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stem — to come from
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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