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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
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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: stem · nail · mouse · hand · chair · field · wax · bear

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — help
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. field — farmland
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. field — for sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. field — a subject

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