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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. drill — army training
  3. tube — a container
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a song
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — a tin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. can — a tin
  15. staff — a stick
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — the tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stem — of a plant

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