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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. craft — boats
  7. chest — of your body
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chest — a box
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stem — a stem cell

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