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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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Word bank
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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: stem · nail · mark · last · tube · key · roll · rush

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. last — to go on
  3. tube — a container
  4. last — finally
  5. mark — a grade
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. last — final
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rush — hurry
  20. roll — a list
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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