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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.

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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: mate · bowl · deal · chest · rock · bore · track · stem

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. track — a path
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chest — a box
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. track — a song
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chest — of your body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rock — music

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