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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: nail · club · trunk · track · bore · bay · stem · snap

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. club — for dancing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. track — to keep track
  7. club — a group
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — for golf
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stem — to come from
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. track — a song
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bore — to drill
  17. snap — to click
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stem — a stem cell

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