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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: bowl · track · wave · stem · bore · root · lie · scale

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — in music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — size or range
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. root — the cause
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. track — a path
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. track — a song
  21. bore — to tire
  22. root — of a word
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. root — of a plant

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