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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: pop · wound · bulb · nail · fine · drill · deal · stem

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. drill — army training
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pop — soda
  15. drill — the tool
  16. stem — to come from
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — all right
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wound — an injury

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