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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stem — to come from
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — a container
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — boats
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stem — of a plant

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