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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. branch — a division
  13. hand — help
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — of a tree
  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