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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: pound · tear · suit · mug · nail · spring · stem · saw

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tear — to rip
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stem — to come from
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mug — a face
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — in cards
  20. spring — of water
  21. mug — to rob
  22. saw — the tool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spring — the season

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