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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: bore · arm · stem · bulb · field · wake · nail · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bore — to tire
  8. field — a subject
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stem — to come from
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wake — a trail
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bore — to drill
  24. field — for sport

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