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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.

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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: stem · cabinet · toast · spring · lie · club · track · straw

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. club — for golf
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. track — a song
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. club — a group
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. toast — bread
  23. spring — a coil
  24. toast — the most admired

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