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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 120 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: mouse · last · staff · stem · swing · ruler · nail · rock

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — employees
  8. rock — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — finally
  13. staff — employees
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. last — to go on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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