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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: stem · band · dip · deal · last · lean · nail · swing

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. last — to go on
  5. dip — to sink
  6. last — finally
  7. swing — in golf
  8. last — final
  9. lean — thin
  10. band — a music group
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. swing — to play on
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. swing — music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. band — a ring
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. deal — to handle
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. deal — a big deal

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