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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 116 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: nail · pound · deal · pass · track · lash · perch · stem

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. stem — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pound — a weight
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. track — a path
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lash — to lash out
  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