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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: safe · hand · stem · cap · spring · drill · nail · bay

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. spring — of water
  4. drill — army training
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — to come from
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — a lid
  11. hand — help
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — a coil
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — the season
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cap — of ice
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stem — of a plant

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