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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mug — to rob
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. scale — in music
  9. mate — a friend
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mate — to breed
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range

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