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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · plane · mouse · land · stem · bass · snap · foot

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. foot — a measure
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. land — ground
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. snap — to click
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. land — to come down
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — a country
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. stem — to come from

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