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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · content · stem · nail · prune · coach · lash · club

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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 song
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. track — a path
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stem — to come from
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. content — happy
  12. track — to keep track
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — the amount
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. club — for golf
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. prune — to trim
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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