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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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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: stem · cold · charge · firm · foot · bear · kid · wave

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kid — child
  7. cold — not warm
  8. firm — a company
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kid — to tease
  13. firm — steady
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — in control
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. charge — a price
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. charge — electricity
  23. firm — decided
  24. stem — of a plant

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