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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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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stock — shares
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cell — in biology
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stock — goods
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kid — child

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