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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: object · track · hide · stem · last · band · stock · mate

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. track — to keep track
  3. object — an aim
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. last — finally
  10. track — a path
  11. last — to go on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — final
  15. track — a song
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. object — to protest
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. mate — a partner
  22. object — a thing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stem — to come from

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