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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. club — a group
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bore — to drill
  6. track — a path
  7. stem — to come from
  8. row — to paddle
  9. club — for dancing
  10. shower — rain
  11. suit — to fit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. club — for golf
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. track — a song
  17. snap — to click
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. suit — clothes
  21. shower — to wash
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bore — to tire
  24. row — a line

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