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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 116 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 · bank · key · last · stem · leaves · rest · drill

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stem — to come from
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — finally
  5. rest — a break
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. key — in music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. key — the most important part
  15. last — to go on
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — army training
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. key — for a lock
  24. leaves — of a tree

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