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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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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: spring · stem · nail · rock · band · bay · fall · deal

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. spring — the season
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fall — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — music
  17. band — a music group
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fall — to drop
  24. band — a rubber band

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