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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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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. drill — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bore — to tire
  8. kid — child
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bore — to drill
  11. drill — army training
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kid — to tease
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — of the year
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — in sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bank — for money
  23. can — to be able to
  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