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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: pitcher · suit · face · stem · chip · last · nail · hand

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chip — for betting
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. last — final
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hand — in cards
  15. face — to confront
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. last — to go on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hand — help
  23. face — part of the head
  24. last — finally

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