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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: wind · stem · nail · cabinet · deal · chair · prune · bore

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bore — to drill
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — to tire
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — moving air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wind — moving air
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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