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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. track — a path
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bear — the animal
  9. track — a song
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — to come from
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — before a funeral

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