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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: kid · charge · degree · stem · deal · nail · patient · bound

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kid — child
  3. stem — to come from
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. kid — to tease
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. charge — in control
  9. degree — an amount
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. degree — temperature
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bound — certain
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bound — obliged

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