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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: wake · pound · can · cell · suit · stem · nail · ground

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. can — to be able to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. can — a tin
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cell — a phone
  18. suit — clothes
  19. can — a tin
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. ground — a position
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. suit — to fit

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