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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. season — of the year
  4. charge — in control
  5. staff — a stick
  6. cell — a phone
  7. season — in sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kid — to tease
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cell — in biology
  15. staff — employees
  16. stand — to bear
  17. charge — electricity
  18. staff — employees
  19. drill — a practice
  20. charge — a price
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. kid — child
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stem — a stem cell

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