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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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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: stem · nail · wave · lash · shower · safe · chest · tear

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chest — of your body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chest — a box
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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