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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 116 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: hand · ball · saw · stem · last · sharp · bank · stand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bank — of a river
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ball — a great time
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stand — to bear
  23. last — finally
  24. ball — a round shape

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