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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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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: track · bore · cabinet · jam · lean · stem · saw · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. saw — the tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lean — thin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stem — to come from
  10. track — a song
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bore — gave birth

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