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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: cap · spring · safe · track · stem · content · hide · foot

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. track — a song
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spring — a coil
  17. track — a path
  18. cap — of ice
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. foot — a measure
  23. spring — of water
  24. hide — to keep secret

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