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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 116 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: stick · mate · march · nail · rash · safe · stem · row

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — to breed
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. march — the month
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rash — a series
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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