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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 · snap · nail · key · cell · race · drill · fan

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — the most important part
  6. drill — the tool
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. drill — army training
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to click
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. race — a contest
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — humankind
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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