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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 120 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: fall · key · stem · chest · mug · track · straw · dip

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. key — in music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — to come from
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. mug — a face
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fall — the season
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. key — the most important part
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chest — of your body
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chest — a box
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. dip — a sauce

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