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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: nail · chest · mug · mouse · track · pit · leaves · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chest — a box
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mug — a face
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — in a race
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mug — a cup
  23. track — a song
  24. leaves — lets stay

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