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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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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: snap · nail · mark · track · stem · staff · perch · bear

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. staff — employees
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. track — a path
  9. bear — the animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mark — a grade
  13. track — a song
  14. snap — to click
  15. staff — employees
  16. track — to keep track
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — a stick
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bear — to put up with

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