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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pound — a weight
  10. spring — of water
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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