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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: mine · stem · fall · bay · fork · last · racket · nail

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. stem — to come from
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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