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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · perch · squash · stem · spell · object · arm · tube

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tube — the underground
  4. spell — letters
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stem — to come from
  7. object — an aim
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — a thing
  12. spell — a short time
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tube — a container
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. squash — to crush
  22. object — to protest
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spell — magic

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