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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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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: shower · spell · nail · bear · stick · stem · wave · bay

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spell — a short time
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. spell — magic
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — letters
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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