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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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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: nail · stem · bass · foot · fine · plane · rush · track

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. track — a song
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rush — hurry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bass — low music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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