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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. track — a song
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — a committee
  9. spring — of water
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spring — a coil
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. track — a path

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