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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. kid — to tease
  3. suit — in cards
  4. rest — a break
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bank — for money
  8. last — to go on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. last — finally
  12. kid — child
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. last — final
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. snap — to click
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bank — for money

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