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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: bay · nail · fall · rest · root · stem · rash · saw

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fall — the season
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fall — to drop
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — of a word
  22. rest — a break
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rash — on the skin

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