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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: stem · staff · board · toast · chest · shower · row · nail

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. toast — bread
  3. row — to paddle
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — employees
  15. shower — to wash
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. board — a committee
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. shower — rain
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. board — to get on

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