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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: stem · wake · bore · nail · fine · chair · march · hand

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. march — music
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fine — all right
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wake — a trail
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. march — the month
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — high quality
  23. march — the month
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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