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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · patient · fork · safe · shower · pop · march

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. shower — rain
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. stem — to come from
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. march — music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — to wash
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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