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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.

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 · fall · object · nail · leaves · mate · stem · bark

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bark — to shout
  9. object — to protest
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fall — the season
  12. object — an aim
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. track — a song
  16. object — a thing
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. track — a path
  23. fall — to drop
  24. track — to keep track

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