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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 · nail · saw · mark · rush · wind · scale · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wind — moving air
  18. scale — size or range
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. scale — in music
  21. mark — a grade
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. nail — for a hammer

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