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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. bass — low music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. prune — to trim
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tube — the underground
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. suit — to fit
  23. track — to keep track
  24. suit — clothes

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