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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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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: saw · charge · stand · ball · hand · stem · season · kid

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stem — to come from
  5. charge — electricity
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hand — help
  9. season — in sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kid — child
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hand — in cards
  19. charge — in control
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — a price
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. stand — to bear

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