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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · stem · season · nail · ball · mine · bark · bank

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bank — for money
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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