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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: nail · rash · spring · prune · track · suit · cell · chair

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spring — a coil
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a song
  5. suit — to fit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cell — a phone
  9. suit — in cards
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spring — the season
  14. track — a path
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. suit — clothes
  21. track — to keep track
  22. spring — of water
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cell — in biology

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