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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: can · bay · swing · wake · chest · march · track · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. swing — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stem — to come from
  16. track — a path
  17. march — music
  18. track — a song
  19. march — the month
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chest — a box
  22. can — a tin
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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