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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: nail · stem · rash · toast · wave · clip · fine · bore

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rash — a series
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. stem — to come from
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bore — to drill
  16. clip — a video
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. toast — bread
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. clip — to cut

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