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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: bore · face · cell · nail · saw · chest · spring · bank

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cell — in biology
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chest — of your body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spring — of water
  13. bore — to tire
  14. chest — a box
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cell — a phone
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. face — to confront
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. saw — the tool

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