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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: stem · bulb · hand · leaves · pound · suit · face · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — for light
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. suit — to fit
  12. face — to point toward
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. leaves — to go away

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