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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — of water
  3. key — for a lock
  4. stem — to come from
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. toast — bread
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. key — in music
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. key — the most important part
  20. spring — a coil
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spring — the season
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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