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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: saw · bear · nail · lie · row · snap · stem · calf

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. row — a line
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. snap — to click
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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