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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · track · hand · press · tube · mark

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mark — a grade
  3. track — a song
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — to push
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. track — to keep track
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. hand — help
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tube — a container
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. track — a path

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