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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: wound · bore · spring · land · stem · safe · stick · nail

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bore — to tire
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spring — a coil
  9. land — to come down
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spring — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bore — to drill
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — the season
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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