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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: rush · ground · cabinet · stem · fork · nail · present · band

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. band — a ring
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ground — a position

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