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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 116 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 · kid · net · firm · shower · stem · charge · bowl

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. charge — a price
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. kid — child
  8. charge — electricity
  9. net — after costs
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. firm — decided
  14. charge — in control
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. shower — to wash
  18. net — in sport
  19. firm — steady
  20. hand — help
  21. shower — rain
  22. hand — in cards
  23. net — for catching
  24. firm — a company

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