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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: wake · charge · track · foot · tube · face · stem · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stand — to bear
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. charge — electricity
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wake — a trail
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. charge — a price
  18. stem — to come from
  19. charge — in control
  20. tube — a container
  21. foot — a measure
  22. track — a path
  23. tube — the underground
  24. face — to confront

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