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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. track — a path
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. net — for catching
  9. can — a tin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — all right
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. track — a song
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bound — certain
  21. stem — to come from
  22. net — after costs
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bound — obliged

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