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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: kid · stand · leaves · saw · field · can · stem · bore

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. kid — child
  3. bore — to drill
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — a subject
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — for sport
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bore — to tire
  23. can — a tin
  24. bore — gave birth

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