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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: nail · tube · face · pop · saw · cell · track · bound

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. track — a path
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pop — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — certain
  8. track — a song
  9. bound — tied together
  10. saw — the tool
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tube — a container
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. face — part of the head
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pop — soda
  18. bound — obliged
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. face — to confront
  23. pop — to visit
  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