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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: hand · foot · present · stem · saw · nail · rock · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. present — the time now
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rock — music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. present — there
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. kid — to tease
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. present — a gift
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. foot — a measure
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — child
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stem — to come from
  24. saw — the tool

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