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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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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: cap · hand · nail · bay · stem · bore · land · face

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bore — to drill
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. face — to confront
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hand — help
  8. land — ground
  9. stem — to come from
  10. face — part of the head
  11. land — to come down
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — of ice
  14. face — to point toward
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — a country
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cap — a hat
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bore — gave birth

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