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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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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: toast · chest · track · kick · stem · scale · nail · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chest — a box
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. track — a path
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. scale — in music
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. scale — size or range
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. toast — bread
  20. stem — to come from
  21. band — a ring
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kick — in football

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