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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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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bore — to tire
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stem — to come from
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. prune — to trim
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. band — a ring
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bore — to drill
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. nail — for a hammer

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