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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: cue · stem · saw · leaves · rule · track · cold · craft

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rule — a law
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rule — government
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. craft — a skill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. track — a song
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cue — for pool
  23. craft — boats
  24. track — a path

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