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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: ball · stem · staff · trunk · track · fall · mine · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ball — a great time
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fall — to drop
  6. track — a song
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — a path
  11. staff — employees
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — employees
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. track — to keep track
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mine — for digging
  24. trunk — of a car

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