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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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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: kick · nail · ball · bowl · kid · stem · content · craft

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kid — child
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. content — happy
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. kick — in football
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. craft — a handicraft

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