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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: nail · staff · degree · track · pound · stem · lean · squash

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. track — a song
  6. lean — thin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. staff — employees
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — a path
  18. staff — employees
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pound — a weight
  23. lean — to bend
  24. staff — a stick

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