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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. roll — a list
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bank — for money
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hand — help
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hand — in cards
  23. spell — magic
  24. stem — to come from

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