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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 120 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: lie · stem · foot · object · content · net · track · present

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. net — after costs
  3. content — happy
  4. present — the time now
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. present — a gift
  13. net — for catching
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. net — in sport
  19. content — the amount
  20. track — a path
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — there
  23. lie — to recline
  24. track — a song

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