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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: toast · stem · lean · bay · spring · track · rule · key

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rule — government
  3. track — a song
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rule — a law
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. key — for a lock
  8. spring — a coil
  9. toast — bread
  10. key — in music
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — to bend
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — the most important part
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — thin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. stem — to come from
  21. track — to keep track
  22. spring — of water
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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