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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. suit — clothes
  9. drill — the tool
  10. pound — a weight
  11. object — to protest
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. band — a music group
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. track — to keep track
  16. band — a ring
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. drill — a practice
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — to fit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. suit — in cards
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. drill — army training

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