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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: nail · board · pound · stem · dip · wave · file · cell

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cell — in biology
  8. dip — to sink
  9. file — a document
  10. board — a committee
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. board — to get on
  24. dip — a sauce

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