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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. field — a subject
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. plane — a tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — a partner
  7. field — for sport
  8. mug — a cup
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. band — a music group
  12. mug — a face
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stem — to come from
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. perch — the fish
  17. mate — to breed
  18. field — farmland
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mate — a friend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a ring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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