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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: wound · track · jam · nail · stem · key · cell · bank

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — a song
  8. stem — to come from
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. cell — a phone
  14. key — in music
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cell — in biology
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. track — a path
  24. nail — for a hammer

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