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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: mark · track · swing · spring · can · stem · straw · temple

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. track — a path
  4. can — a tin
  5. swing — to play on
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — a trace
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mark — a grade
  15. swing — music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. track — a song
  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