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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: face · track · lash · file · nail · stem · degree · march

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. march — the month
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. face — part of the head
  7. track — a path
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. track — a song
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. face — to confront
  14. march — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. file — a tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. track — to keep track

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