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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · stem · nail · tear · chair · pound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — to protest
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stem — to come from
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tear — to rip

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