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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.

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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: nail · calf · present · bound · stem · mug · season · kid

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. present — there
  4. bound — certain
  5. season — in sport
  6. mug — a cup
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mug — a face
  10. bound — tied together
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bound — obliged
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mug — to rob
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. present — the time now
  24. calf — a young animal

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