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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: stem · straw · nail · hide · spell · hand · roll · season

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — help
  5. roll — a list
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. spell — magic
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — in sport
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stem — to come from
  15. roll — a cake
  16. spell — letters
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spell — a short time
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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