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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: stem · foot · track · fine · straw · cold · net · content

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — the amount
  4. net — for catching
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. foot — a measure
  7. track — a path
  8. net — after costs
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cold — not warm
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. track — a song
  16. stem — to come from
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. content — happy
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fine — all right

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