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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: racket · temple · leaves · nail · stem · squash · bat · track

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stem — to come from
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. racket — for tennis

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