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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: nail · bore · rush · spring · lean · stem · fine · drill

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — all right
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — to drill
  11. drill — a practice
  12. spring — of water
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. spring — the season
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lean — thin
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spring — a coil
  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