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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kid — child
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mark — to pay attention

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