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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spell — letters
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — to tire
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — a tin
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — to keep track
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — magic
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. 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