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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. kid — child
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — to tease
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. prune — to trim
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. board — a committee

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