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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: hand · lie · toast · drill · date · stem · track · net

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — a song
  4. drill — the tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. drill — army training
  7. track — a path
  8. hand — help
  9. net — for catching
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. hand — in cards
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stem — to come from
  19. toast — bread
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. date — the fruit
  24. net — after costs

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