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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 120 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: mate · bore · nail · stem · bay · pitcher · mark · staff

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mark — a grade
  5. staff — employees
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. staff — employees
  17. mate — a friend
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — to breed

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